3L with non-biglaw firm job taking questions. Forum

[Anonymous User]

Have not seen a thread for 3L's who have a gig lined up. Thought it might be a good idea to share my job-search experience with others. Also, it just feels great to tell people that I've got a job.

Here's my story:
-top half at a tier 1 school
-paid SA during 1L summer at small firm
-paid SA during 2L summer at mid-size firm, asked and agreed to continue clerking part-time during 3L
-Also volunteered at a legal clinic two mornings a week during 2L summer (got permission from the firm)
-Continued job search during 3L; received offer from another mid-size firm. Informed the firm I clerk at, which made a competing offer.
-Made a tough choice


Questions?

[lawschoolnonsense]

Have not seen a thread for 3L's who have a gig lined up. Thought it might be a good idea to share my job-search experience with others. Also, it just feels great to tell people that I've got a job.

Here's my story:
-top half at a tier 1 school
-paid SA during 1L summer at small firm
-paid SA during 2L summer at mid-size firm, asked and agreed to continue clerking part-time during 3L
-Also volunteered at a legal clinic two mornings a week during 2L summer (got permission from the firm)
-Continued job search during 3L; received offer from another mid-size firm. Informed the firm I clerk at, which made a competing offer.
-Made a tough choice


Questions?

What kinds of hours/pay will you be looking at working at the mid-size firm?

[Anonymous User]

Have not seen a thread for 3L's who have a gig lined up. Thought it might be a good idea to share my job-search experience with others. Also, it just feels great to tell people that I've got a job.

Here's my story:
-top half at a tier 1 school
-paid SA during 1L summer at small firm
-paid SA during 2L summer at mid-size firm, asked and agreed to continue clerking part-time during 3L
-Also volunteered at a legal clinic two mornings a week during 2L summer (got permission from the firm)
-Continued job search during 3L; received offer from another mid-size firm. Informed the firm I clerk at, which made a competing offer.
-Made a tough choice


Questions?

What kinds of hours/pay will you be looking at working at the mid-size firm?

The firm stressed family-friendly hours, but I will not really know until I begin working. I'd rather not divulge my exact salary but it is between 80k-100k plus benefits.

[DoubleChecks]

Have not seen a thread for 3L's who have a gig lined up. Thought it might be a good idea to share my job-search experience with others. Also, it just feels great to tell people that I've got a job.

Here's my story:
-top half at a tier 1 school
-paid SA during 1L summer at small firm
-paid SA during 2L summer at mid-size firm, asked and agreed to continue clerking part-time during 3L
-Also volunteered at a legal clinic two mornings a week during 2L summer (got permission from the firm)
-Continued job search during 3L; received offer from another mid-size firm. Informed the firm I clerk at, which made a competing offer.
-Made a tough choice


Questions?

What kinds of hours/pay will you be looking at working at the mid-size firm?

The firm stressed family-friendly hours, but I will not really know until I begin working. I'd rather not divulge my exact salary but it is between 80k-100k plus benefits.

first off, congrats!

second off, what the general region/market of your job?

[Nogameisfair]

Have not seen a thread for 3L's who have a gig lined up. Thought it might be a good idea to share my job-search experience with others. Also, it just feels great to tell people that I've got a job.

Here's my story:
-top half at a tier 1 school
-paid SA during 1L summer at small firm
-paid SA during 2L summer at mid-size firm, asked and agreed to continue clerking part-time during 3L
-Also volunteered at a legal clinic two mornings a week during 2L summer (got permission from the firm)
-Continued job search during 3L; received offer from another mid-size firm. Informed the firm I clerk at, which made a competing offer.
-Made a tough choice


Questions?

What kinds of hours/pay will you be looking at working at the mid-size firm?

The firm stressed family-friendly hours, but I will not really know until I begin working. I'd rather not divulge my exact salary but it is between 80k-100k plus benefits.

What's the point of writing anonymously if you wont divulge details? Anyway, what market are you in?

[uvahooo]

Have not seen a thread for 3L's who have a gig lined up. Thought it might be a good idea to share my job-search experience with others. Also, it just feels great to tell people that I've got a job.

Here's my story:
-top half at a tier 1 school
-paid SA during 1L summer at small firm
-paid SA during 2L summer at mid-size firm, asked and agreed to continue clerking part-time during 3L
-Also volunteered at a legal clinic two mornings a week during 2L summer (got permission from the firm)
-Continued job search during 3L; received offer from another mid-size firm. Informed the firm I clerk at, which made a competing offer.
-Made a tough choice


Questions?

What kinds of hours/pay will you be looking at working at the mid-size firm?

The firm stressed family-friendly hours, but I will not really know until I begin working. I'd rather not divulge my exact salary but it is between 80k-100k plus benefits.

What's the point of writing anonymously if you wont divulge details? Anyway, what market are you in?

Stop being an ass? Someone is volunteering their time. duh.

[lawschoolnonsense]

Have not seen a thread for 3L's who have a gig lined up. Thought it might be a good idea to share my job-search experience with others. Also, it just feels great to tell people that I've got a job.

Here's my story:
-top half at a tier 1 school
-paid SA during 1L summer at small firm
-paid SA during 2L summer at mid-size firm, asked and agreed to continue clerking part-time during 3L
-Also volunteered at a legal clinic two mornings a week during 2L summer (got permission from the firm)
-Continued job search during 3L; received offer from another mid-size firm. Informed the firm I clerk at, which made a competing offer.
-Made a tough choice


Questions?

What kinds of hours/pay will you be looking at working at the mid-size firm?

The firm stressed family-friendly hours, but I will not really know until I begin working. I'd rather not divulge my exact salary but it is between 80k-100k plus benefits.

Yeah, congratulations! Could you at least tell us what market (or a comparable market)?

[Anonymous User]

I'm in a major metro market. The firm has around 40 lawyers. I'll be doing primarily business and tax law.


I did post my exact salary because I am paranoid. Further, the exact number is not necessary.

...and thank you for the congratulations.

[Kobe_Teeth]

What type of work does the firm do? Mainly?

Did you find the job through networking? OCI? Cold call? Or what have you?

[Anonymous User]

What type of work does the firm do? Mainly?

Did you find the job through networking? OCI? Cold call? Or what have you?

The firm isn't full service, but it practices in quite a few areas: Business formation, commercial litigation, estate and tax planning, Insurance defense, bankruptcy, real estate, securities. It does not handle any family or criminal work.

I found all of my jobs except my volunteer gig through networking. That is, I sent letters to lawyers I already knew personally. Of the summer jobs and the job I accepted, I knew two from personal connections and met one at a networking event. I also sent out dozens of letters to lawyers I didn't know and got several interviews, but no great offers (I declined two summer gigs with low hourly wages).

[Anonymous User]

What type of work does the firm do? Mainly?

Did you find the job through networking? OCI? Cold call? Or what have you?

In regards to OCI, I had no success. I was only top half.

[Nogameisfair]

Stop being an ass? Someone is volunteering their time. duh.

Hey, it's part of the forum rules. If he isn't posting sensitive employment information it shouldn't be anonymous. Is the forum being an ass?

I did post my exact salary because I am paranoid. Further, the exact number is not necessary.

I understand the paranoia, but their's a huge difference b/w an 80k gig and a 100k gig, IMO. Good work networking your way in, BTW. I credit my job largely to networking as well.

[Kobe_Teeth]

Stop being an ass? Someone is volunteering their time. duh.

Hey, it's part of the forum rules. If he isn't posting sensitive employment information it shouldn't be anonymous. Is the forum being an ass?

I did post my exact salary because I am paranoid. Further, the exact number is not necessary.

I understand the paranoia, but their's a huge difference b/w an 80k gig and a 100k gig, IMO. Good work networking your way in, BTW. I credit my job largely to networking as well.

He is still giving good information about mid-size law firms - something not done on this site very often. Show the person some respect. Furthermore, at "between 80k and a 100k" you get a decent idea at the type of firm and not necessarily what fucking couch he is able to afford.

[RPK34]

How did you get the paid 1L SA gig from a T1 (and presumably not not grades)? Did you know some lawyers before you went to school that helped you out?

[Anonymous User]

How did you get the paid 1L SA gig from a T1 (and presumably not not grades)? Did you know some lawyers before you went to school that helped you out?

As I'm writing this, it sounds more complicated that it was.

In the fall of my 1L year I met one of the firm's prior SA's at church. He had met a partner at our church. I made it a point to introduce myself to the partner within a few weeks; I told him I was in LS and dropped the prior SA's name. Said hello to him and chatted briefly on several occasions throughout the semester (still do, actually). When mid-January rolled around I sent the partner a letter with my resume. I also asked the prior SA to ask the partner if they were hiring SA's, and if so, to mention my name. The partner called an offered me a SA spot about a month later.

The firm was very small with only 4 attorneys, but I got pretty good experience and made decent money.

[OperaSoprano]

OP, congrats! Do you feel your experiences were typical for your school? Did the firms care much about your grades/were they a factor? I am bumping this because I think it may be of use to others seeking a job that offers better balance than standard biglaw.

[reasonable_man]

Congrats op. Don't let anyone give you shit for the manner in which you're providing information.

[A'nold]

Congrats op. Don't let anyone give you shit for the manner in which you're providing information.

For realz.

"There is a big difference b/w 80k and 100k"......let me guess, you were raised by at least an upper middle class family, they paid for your college, and you went straight to law school from undergrad? I.e., you have no experience with real life?

[Aqualibrium]

Congrats op. Don't let anyone give you shit for the manner in which you're providing information.

For realz.

"There is a big difference b/w 80k and 100k"......let me guess, you were raised by at least an upper middle class family, they paid for your college, and you went straight to law school from undergrad? I.e., you have no experience with real life?

There is a difference between 80k and 100k. It may be psychological more than anything, but there is a difference all the same.

Also, revealing whether you make 80k or 100k is in no way identifying. I can tell you right now that I'll be summering at two firms that have a 100k starting salary; there is no way you can figure out who I am or where I'll be working based on that. That said, for the purposes of this thread, I don't think it matters much whether op reveals the exact salary. I think it'd probably be more helpful to reveal the market (region if not exact city), but even that isn't terribly necessary. The main benefit of threads like this is in understanding how that person got the job.

[Nogameisfair]

For realz.

"There is a big difference b/w 80k and 100k"......let me guess, you were raised by at least an upper middle class family, they paid for your college, and you went straight to law school from undergrad? I.e., you have no experience with real life?

You are so dumb. You are really dumb. No my family isn't upper middle class, no one paid for my relatively inexpensive UG education (just me and the state), and I worked for about two years before going to law school. Stop being wrong all the time. I do have enough in debt from UG and Law school that I know how huge a difference 80k and 100k will be depending on the market OP is in and the associated COL.

I'm not disrespecting OP's desire for privacy, i just don't know how helpful the information is unless we know which market and roughly how much he's pulling down. The fact that he's on an anonymous website, posting anonymously, and giving only tidbits should sufficiently protect him. If he doesn't want to give that up, it's no big deal. I just don't think his information will be a lot of help to people...

I don't see why people are jumping down my throat for suggesting OP follow the rules... relax, no one is disrespecting OP.

[concurrent fork]

What market? This makes a big difference.

[thisguy456]

Do you have a lot of debt from school? Do you feel comfortable in paying off that debt with this job?

Thanks for taking questions.

[Anonymous User]

OP- I'm actually in a similar situation to you and could definitely use some insight.

I also struck out at OCI this year (2L currently) but found a job with a ~35 attorney firm that actually sounds very similar to your firm. I'll be working this summer for them, and they really stressed that they want me to continue working part-time during my 3L year. All in all they seem like a really chill place to work without BigLaw stress/hours.

I'm just worried because they aren't NALP or anything and I don't know what their policy is towards hiring new attorneys. I don't want to work there this summer and all of 3L only to be thrown out into the cold when I graduate or pass the bar. Did you have this issue at your firm? How/when did you bring this issue up?

[Anonymous User]

Also, what was it like working part time during 3L year? Did this really affect your ability to take a leadership position on a journal, or do a clinic or other extracurricular activities?

[Lawl Shcool]

You are so dumb. You are really dumb, for real. So hide yo' kids hide yo' wife, because they rapin' errbody out here.. No my family isn't upper middle class, no one paid for my relatively inexpensive UG education (just me and the state), and I worked for about two years before going to law school. Stop being wrong all the time. I do have enough in debt from UG and Law school that I know how huge a difference 80k and 100k will be depending on the market OP is in and the associated COL.

I'm not disrespecting OP's desire for privacy, i just don't know how helpful the information is unless we know which market and roughly how much he's pulling down. The fact that he's on an anonymous website, posting anonymously, and giving only tidbits should sufficiently protect him. If he doesn't want to give that up, it's no big deal. I just don't think his information will be a lot of help to people...

I don't see why people are jumping down my throat for suggesting OP follow the rules... relax, no one is disrespecting OP.

FTFY